This Lonely Heart Wanders
by Tezza1502
Summary: What if Third Impact fizzled? The world keeps turning. The Pilots grow and mature. What happens next? A fic written before 'Rebuild of Evangelion' happened.
1. Chapter 1

THIS LONELY HEART WANDERS

By: Tezza1502

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Don't own 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. Nor do I make any claim to, either. I'm just writing fanfiction, is all.

Notes: I started this one back when I was writing 'These Scars We Bear'. It was meant to be a bit fluffier than that one. However, I got about seven chapters into it and lost interest. Now I'm posting it simply to get it out there. I started it before I heard about the Reboot of Evangelion, so it's going to be a bit . . . actually, make that a _lot_ AU and OOC at times, and I'm going to take liberties with the established storyline here and there. That means Rei has ALL of her memories, Shinji will be slightly more mature and not so spineless, and the others, well, you'll see!

Also, I'm kinda curious about what would happen AFTER Shinji told Asuka to go take a flying jump (Random1377's 'Just a Kiss' comes immediately to mind.)

* * *

CHAPTER 1

Monday morning on a wonderful day. The type of day that makes a person glad to be alive. Birds were singing in the trees. Happy parents were guiding bouncy toddlers through lush parks. All in all, a great day to be outdoors, enjoying the bounty that nature provides.

Unfortunately for the two teenagers standing outside a doorway waiting for the appearance of their friend, today was also a school day. The first in quite a while.

"Hey guys, ready to start class again?" Shinji asked as Touji and Kensuke poked their heads in the front door.

"NO!" Kensuke Aida answered loudly.

"HELL NO!" Touji Suzahara echoed with similar volume.

Sighing, the now ex-pilot shook his head at his two best friends before calling back into the unit. "I'm off to school now, Misato. Will you be home for dinner tonight?"

A cheeky, feminine voice floated out from a closed room. "No Shinji-kins, working late again. Sorry. Will you and Rei be all right to look after yourselves?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine. I'll call you if there's a problem. Have fun at work! Good-bye."

"Buh-bye!"

Shinji quickly shut the door before his friends could storm the place, seeking their Misato fix.

"Come on guys, give it a rest." He complained as they tried going through his pockets for his keys.

"You're a cruel man, Shinji. It's been months since we last saw her, er, you, and now you deny us in our time of need. Thanks a lot!" Kensuke complained bitterly.

"Yeah, what he said." Touji chipped his two cents in.

"Ah, you'll get your chance to see her. In the meantime, talk to the finger." He said, showing them exactly which finger they should directing their complaints towards.

"Charming. Did Asuka teach you that?"

"Yep! Thanks for letting me practice it on you." He focused behind them. "Good morning, Rei."

"Good morning." Rei Ayanami nodded a greeting at the other boys as she opened and shut the door quickly. She had heard from Shinji what these two could be like if they got inside, and there wasn't time to grab a fire-extinguisher to hose down their rampaging hormones. "So, Misato won't be dining with us tonight?"

"No, not tonight. Again." He shook his head in frustration.

"A pity." She agreed. While dinner occasionally turned into a tease-fest, Rei would rather their guardian was at home with them than at NERV. "Shall we depart for school?"

"Yeah." Turning, he led the way. "Come on, you two, or we will be late."

"Yes. We wouldn't want to miss this years attempt at asking your next sweetheart out, would we big guy. Tamiko, wasn't it?" Kensuke teased, looking for an opening. He didn't have to wait long. The tell tale dreamy look appeared on Touji's face at the mention of his most recent crush's name like clockwork.

(_SIGH_) "Yeah."

"Going to talk to her without getting a nosebleed this year? Or just the usual falling into an incoherent puddle at her feet."

(_SIGH_) "Yeah."

Shaking his head at his friends hopelessness, Kensuke explained to Shinji how the first day back at school usually went as they walked along.

"Studly here works himself up into a state over the break as to whether this is the year he will ask a girl out. So by the time school starts, he's wound so tight he squeaks." Shinji is having a hard time walking and keeping a straight face by now. "You watch when we get to the classroom. Last time he fainted. The time before that, his mind imploded. Went stiff as a board. We had to prop him up in the corner of the room until he came out of it."

"Your kidding. How do the girls cope with it?" He asked, still chortling at the mental image.

"How do you expect? Completely mortified! They go bright red and try to ignore his existence for the rest of the term." He shook his head, pondering the mystery that is Touji's complete inability to converse in a normal manner with the opposite sex. It was only beaten by his complete inability to see that the class rep, Hikari Horaki, was crushing on him madly.

"Are you taking wagers on the outcome again?" Rei enquired.

"Yes." Aida looked apologetic. "And I'm sorry, Rei, but I can't allow you to participate."

Rei cocked an eyebrow at the boy. "Why not?"

"Because you've won the past three times! I couldn't get anyone to make a wager until I promised that you wouldn't be taking part." He shrugged remorsefully. "I'm truly sorry."

Annoyance crossed her face. "Very well. I shall not forget this."

Amazed at what he had just heard, Shinji almost missed the implied threat. Not really wanting to find out what a vengeful Rei is capable of, he quickly thought of a solution. "Hey Kensuke? Am I allowed to place a bet?"

"Huh! What? Oh, sure." He answered, unable to take his eyes off quietly smouldering Rei.

Whispering in Rei's ear and getting an answer the same way, he turned back to the worried boy. Grinning, he told him his guess and handed over some money.

Relieved at being given a way out of the situation that guaranteed his continued personal safety, Kensuke grabbed it with both hands. "Alright, I'll accept the bet. But this stays between us, okay?"

Shinji nodded and turned to Rei, raising an eyebrow.

"That is acceptable."

* * *

What's going on, you ask? Well, the funny thing is...

Third Impact fizzled, which is what _no-one _had expected to happen.

Kaoru had defeated Shinji, collected Lillith and Adam, and left. Humanity didn't end. The world kept spinning. Time passed.

SEELE, which had been burning it's candle at both ends in anticipation of a payoff which would never happen now, had a collective panic attack. Knowing their allies and subordinates would come seeking retribution for what they had planned for humanity, the Council simply… self-destructed. Some went into hiding. Others, seeing no way out of the web they had created for themselves, gave up and saved their enemies the trouble of killing them. All in all, the end of their grand plans for humanity was rather anti-climactic. They couldn't even use the rest of the mass-produced EVA series to defend themselves, as Kaoru took those parts of himself used in the dummy plugs with him. (He didn't want them getting lonely). And since Rei's clones were destroyed, as well as losing the Adam-embryo implanted in his hand, Commander Ikari wasn't a happy camper, let me tell you! If having the Seventeenth Angel sneak into his room late one night and make off with the Adam embryo wasn't bad enough, the shock of losing the goal he had been working so hard towards _plus _his support base _and _the protection from on high became too much for him. Vice-Commander Fuyutski came in one morning and found him slumped in his chair, facing the EVA cages and drooling. The medical report stated that he had suffered an aneurism resulting in an ongoing vegetative state.

After the party wound down, Fuyutski was put in overall charge, with Misato promoted to Vice-Commander. It wasn't permanent, just a way of preserving the chain of command while the U.N. decided what to do with them all. After a few months of trials and point-scoring by every politician who could get his snout in the trough, things settled down. NERV had begun to shift their energies away from their former goal, and towards actual medical research. With the wealth of neural and biological information discovered while creating the Evangelions, it seemed the way to go. And an added bonus was that the medical staff could get back into pure research with a clear conscience.

Touji Suzahara volunteered at once to be a guinea-pig when he heard about it. Dr. Ritsuko Akagi accepted his application to be a test subject for the next generation of artificial limbs when they were finished being developed, mostly because it solved the problem of his quasi-status as an Evangelion Pilot. The U.N. did not want the former pilots wandering around freely. Even him. So, his family remained in Tokyo-3 while he and his sister continued their physical rehabilitation at NERV's expense. Tokyo-3 was rebuilt and people started coming back. Sadly, the school was reopened a few months after Kaoru left.

Misato, utilising the enormous pay hike she received when she became Vice-Commander, has moved into larger quarters. Specifically, a four bedroom penthouse apartment with ample room for her charges.

Shinji still lives with Misato.

Rei has moved in with them.

Asuka was still comatose during all of this.

* * *

Shinji and Rei leant on the railing at the top of the school, watching the ambulance carrying Touji pull out of the grounds and into the flow of traffic. The sound of stamping feet, followed by the door being kicked open, let them know that Kensuke was making his entrance. Turning, they faced the nascent bookie.

"Any troubles?"

"No. Everyone paid up without a quibble." Facing Rei, he couldn't help himself. "How the_ hell _did you know it was going to go down like that?" He demanded. "Okay, it was easy to guess he would be sweating freely, today. And if I stretch my mind in a weird direction, I can almost see his prosthetic foot becoming loose because of that." Closing his eyes, he tried to calm himself for his next question. "But, _how on bloody earth _did you know that when he swung his arms about to try and keep his balance, his prosthetic arm would come off, fly up, bounce off the roof and land on his head, giving him a concussion?"

Rei presented him with her best enigmatic smile.

"Of course!" Kensuke threw his hands up in the air in disgust. _"Typical!"_

Shinji smirked at the boys reaction. "Careful. One of them might fly off and knock you out."

"Bite me, Ikari!" He retorted angrily, giving him the finger.

Later that day in class, Shinji once again began going over some thoughts that had been swirling around in his head for a while. Since Kaoru had defeated him and left, Misato had taken it upon herself to send Shinji to a psychiatrist for counselling. She thought that after all he had been through so far in his life, some therapy to put it all in perspective might not go astray. So, after a quiet word to Section-2 about where to find one with the required clearance, Shinji began his counselling sessions. Three times a week for the first two months. Dropping back to once a week after that.

It was the best decision ever made for him. Slowly, he began working through his issues and coming to terms with the decisions he had made in the course of piloting an EVA. Realising that he was, indeed, a worthwhile human being. Sorting out the tangled relationships he had formed with the three women in his life. Not to say that it was all clear sailing. There were slides and backtracks, leaps forward and steps back. But, five months later, he was definitely making progress towards becoming a normal teenager.

So, in class, listening to the teacher drone on, Shinji decided it was time to take another step out from under the shadows that had been covering his life.

He began to think of how to go about getting a date.

* * *

_-Interlude-_

_In a quiet room, a teenager lay on a bed. Attached to her were machines monitoring her vital signs. She had been this way for quite a long time. Abruptly, one of the machines noticed a spike in brainwave activity. It duly recorded this and reported it to a higher authority. Eventually, a doctor came in and looked over the readings. He called in other doctors for a second opinion. After a bit of debate, they came to a preliminary agreement. Asuka Langley Sohryu was beginning the long process of waking up._

_-End Interlude-_

* * *

More notes: This is from way back when I first started writing. Expect the style to reflect that.


	2. Chapter 2

THIS LONELY HEART WANDERS

By: Tezza1502

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. I really don't. I'm just excercising my imagination at no monetary profit to myself.

* * *

CHAPTER 2

**Wednesday, a few weeks later**

Three boys were standing in the hallway, fiddling with their lockers. Following a statement by one of them, the tallest and the shortest of the trio suddenly stopped what they were doing and began staring at the third teen with expressions approaching terminal shock. When he noticed the reaction his words had on them, he chuckled lightly before speaking again in a sarcastic tone.

"Guys! Snap out of it." Shinji waved a hand in front of their faces. "People will think I just asked you two to join me in a threesome." That did it.

"_Eewww_! Gross Shinji!" Kensuke dry-retched at the thought.

Touji agreed with his bespectacled friend. "Yeah dude, the weirdest crap comes out of your mouth since you started seeing that head-shrinker."

Shinji frowned at the jock. His being in therapy was not something he wanted shouted out loud at school. Life was hard enough there as is. "Keep your voice down, you twit!" He growled softly.

"Sorry." Touji cringed under the glare he was getting from Shinji. He and Kensuke had only been told after firm promises were made. _'I have really got to learn to think before I speak.'_ He thought as he mentally kicked himself for his gaff. Again. "Won't happen again."

Seeing how contrite the taller boy looked, Shinji let his annoyance go. "Uh-huh. Right. Pull the other leg, it plays 'Fly Me to the Moon.'" He teased.

"I mean it! I'm sorry."

Shinji gave Touji a light punch in the arm. "Oh I believe you. I'm just seeing how long I can keep you squirming before you burst."

Kensuke and Shinji laughed as relief and frustration fought for dominance on Touji's face. He finally settled for a condescending sniff. "Assholes."

"Guilty as charged, your honour." The other two sniggered again. Settling down, Kensuke remembered what had started all this.

"So, are you serious?"

"Yup!" Shinji nodded. "I figure I'm ready now. Plus, after seeing that '_head-shrinker'_, as you so tactfully put it," Touji cringed once more, "I've decided to take his advice and move on from my past." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "So, the next girl that asks me for a date, I'm going to say yes."

Kensuke appraised him with a thoughtful smirk. "Y'know, if any other boy in this school made a statement like that, I'd laugh in his face. But you! You are about the only person I know who could actually follow through on it."

"Yeah." Touji added. "You still get, what, three or four offers a week?"

"Not any more. It's dropped off since I never accepted any of them."

"Nevertheless, I bet that two weekends from now you will be taking some girl on a date." Kensuke wondered if it was worth starting a betting pool, and began to work out the odds in his head.

"I hope so." Shinji replied with more confidence than he felt. Just thinking about the possibility was making him nervous.

"Me too." They turned to look at Kensuke, who had finished crunching the numbers and decided against it. While he was sure he could rake in some money of it, he valued his friendship with Shinji more. "I am in desperate need of some dating tips, myself." He got down on his knees. "_Please _Shinji, pass on what you learn to this unworthy one." He begged. "I implore you! Share what knowledge you gain with your less popular friends! Save me from turning into a bitter old man, like Touji!" He had grabbed Shinji's shirt by now and was shaking him vigorously.

"Oi! Watch your mouth, runt." Touji waved a fist threateningly at the smaller boy, who ignored him completely. He was still latched onto Shinji, awaiting a reply to his impassioned plea.

"Easy, Ken." Shinji attempted to peel the boy off. "I promise, anything I learn about the opposite sex that might be useful to you, I'll pass it on."

The bell for the next class chimed. Grabbing what books they would need next, the three friends closed their lockers and made their way to the classroom.

* * *

**The next day**

During lunch break, a squeal came from outside the food hall. "REALLY! YOU MEAN IT!"

Heads turned, seeking the source of the excited voice. Soon enough, a girl bounced in with a flushed face and headed straight for a table full of her friends. Shinji followed a few minutes later, walking over to where Touji, Kensuke, Hikari and Rei were sitting together. Seating himself, he avoided the knowing smirks he was getting from the boys. "Not a word, you two." He snapped as he tucked into his lunch with a vengeance.

Hikari looked from a slightly flushed Shinji to the openly grinning boys. "What's going on? What did you say to that girl?" She was guessing that it was all related, somehow.

Kensuke barely looked at Shinji for permission before excitedly spilling the beans on his new endeavour. "Well, the Third Child, pilot of Unit-1 and hero of the Angel Wars, (_whom we are also proud to call our friend_) has decided to take a large step towards growing as a person, and put himself on the market as a dateable commodity."

"Your kidding!" Hikari turned around to look over at the table where the girl had sat down. Seeing her friends swarming over her and grilling her as to how she had managed to do something that had been impossible up until now, she faced forward again. "Your not kidding." She finished in a neutral tone.

"Nup!" Touji smiled, missing her expression. "The Shin-man wants to be a player!" Shinji began growling around mouthfuls of food. "And with him being a bona-fide hero and all, the offers are going to roll in like an avalanche off Mount Everest!"

"Give it a rest, Touji. This is going to be hard enough as is." Shinji pleaded. Any further teasing was cut short by the bell. _'Never thought I would be so happy to be going to class.' _He pondered as he left the table abruptly, before his friends could try and add to his growing discomfort.

Frowning, Hikari resolved to speak privately to Shinji after school.

* * *

**After school**

"Shinji? May I walk with you for a while?" Someone yelled.

Shinji turned to find Hikari jogging up to him. "Um, sure." He answered as she stopped in front of him. "Actually I'm waiting for Touji while he picks up his little sister, Mari."

Colour rose to her cheeks at the mention of Touji's name. "Oh. Are they going to be long?"

"Nah. They are both going to physio this afternoon. Ken and I usually tag along and work out while they do their thing."

"Well, as long as it keeps him active so he doesn't get all grouchy again." Hikari concluded, not wanting to wander off the reason she is talking to Shinji for.

"So, what's up?" He enquired.

"I, um..." She took a deep breath. "I was wondering why you accepted a date from that girl, Aki?"

Shinji looked at her askance. "What!"

"Not to say that you shouldn't have." She cringed at how her question had sounded. "It's just...you've always ignored those offers, even _after _Asuka went away. Why now? What's changed?"

Giving her a suspicious glare, he decided to answer her anyway. Somehow, it felt easier opening up to a girl about the emotions that were going on inside him than another guy. Besides, this was Hikari. She was a friend.

"I have." He sighed. "Can you keep a secret with me?" She nodded, wondering where he was going with this. "Ever since the Angel Wars ended, I have been seeing a therapist." Her mouth dropped open a little bit in surprise. "It was Misato's idea. She thought it might help me to work through my issues about...certain things...by opening up and talking to a professional about them. As I'm sure you must have noticed, we pilots were not always the most sane and balanced personalities around." She nodded before she could stop herself. He continued without noticing. "And, to my complete surprise, it's working." He chuckled. "For the first time in a very long while, I feel comfortable in my own skin. I'm still not okay by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel that I WILL be, some day."

Hikari gathered her thoughts together. She had not been expecting an answer like that! "I...I'm honoured that you would trust that secret with me, Shinji. Thank you." She said quietly.

"Your welcome. Only Touji, Kensuke and Rei know about it at the school, plus the principal. Just so you know."

"Uh-huh!" She realised something. "You still haven't answered my question." She pressed.

Shinji burst out laughing. "You are too stubborn for your own good, you know that?"

"Yup!" Hikari replied proudly. "Start talking!"

Shinji mumbles something about why he keeps ending up in the company of strong-willed females that won't let anything go.

"What was that?" She inquired sweetly.

"_Nothing_!" He thinks of a way to express his feelings. "I want to learn how to get closer to people. I don't want to be alone any more."

Hikari is confused by that. "But, your _not_ alone. There's Miss Katsuragi, the other two stooges, Rei, me." She hesitates there.

"Yeah, I know. Your all my friends. I know that. That's not what I mean." He stumbles over a way to put it without sounding like a pervert. "I...I want to get closer...to girls." He cringes, awaiting Hikari's reaction.

"Oh!" Understanding came. She turned to say something, but his demeanour made her ask something else first. "Why are you backing away from me? I'm not dangerous?" She scowled.

"Um, sorry." He stopped drawing away from her.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, honestly confused.

"Well-" He scratched the sweatdrop on the back of his head. "Usually whenever I say I'm interested in girls, Misato teases the living crap out of me for days on end. And Asuka used to hit me over the back of the head and accuse me of being perverted. So I was trying to get out of arms reach, just in case." He finished weakly.

'_Oh Lord, what have those two done to you, Shinji?' _Shethought as she tried to reassure him. "I'm not going to hurt you just because you have expressed an interest in the opposite sex, Shinji. It's perfectly natural for a boy to like girls. I thought you would have covered that in your therapy?"

"Yeah. Sort of. Old habits die hard, y'know!" He said sheepishly.

Hikari remembered her first question. "So, why didn't _you_ ask someone out? Why wait until they made the first move?"

"Because I've never done anything like this before!" He sighed loudly and let his shoulders slump. "It scares me, okay! I just...I wanted to…to ease into the whole dating 'thing'. To get used to it. And I figured that since I get asked for a date at least once a week, I could just say 'yes' to who ever asked me next. And before you say it, I know that I'm using them. I am also smart enough to realise that they are using me too." He said quickly as she opened her mouth to interrupt. "I am the only famous male Evangelion pilot that they know of. I am well aware of how high up on the school status list a date with me would put someone. And who knows? We might just hit it off!" He finished enthusiastically.

Hikari thought to herself about what he had said. As much as she hated to admit it, Shinji's statement about being used was pretty much on the mark. _'And, if sparks fly, he is willing to see where it leads.' _She nodded with approval to herself.

Giving him a smile, she let him know she wasn't going to judge him. "I'm glad that you are willing to try, Shinji. You deserve to be happy, don't ever forget that. Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Try not to hurt anyone, especially yourself. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good! 'Cause I'm the one who usually gets stuck cleaning up the emotional mess, as part of my duties as class rep!" She complained good naturedly.

"Alright. I get the point." A thought occurred to him. "Hey, are you doing anything later this afternoon?"

"No. Why?" Hikari gave him an sly look. "Are you asking me out, too?" He blinked in surprise as she continued. "Gosh, this is all so sudden! Is one girl not enough for a mighty slayer of Angels?" She continued, batting her eyelashes at him.

"What? No!" He sputtered, before noticing the teasing expression on her face. _'Great! Another one jumps on the bandwagon.'_ "Never mind." He sighed as he turned away from her to wait for his friends in silence. Hikari was confused by his sudden change in attitude.

'_What's up with him? I was just-' _Hikari gave herself a mental slap on the forehead. _'-teasing him! Like Miss Katsuragi does. And like Asuka used to. Which is the __**last **__thing he needs. Nice one Hikari!' _Stepping in front of the boy, she catches his eye. "I'm sorry, Shinji. I didn't mean to tease you like that. You just caught me by surprise." Her lower lip began to tremble slightly. "Forgive me?"

Looking at her freckled face with those big brown apologetic eyes, unable to cope with the pout beginning to form, Shinji did what any other male in his position would do when faced with such an onslaught. "_Alright! _I forgive you! Just stop with the kicked puppy look." _'Damnit, when did Hikari get so cute?' _

'_Yay!' _She beamed at him. "Now, seriously, why do you want to know?"

"Well, since I _am_ going on a date this weekend, unless my supposed friends don't _tease_ me to death first, I thought I might go shopping for some new clothes to wear. And I want some advice."

"Don't you have Miss Katsuragi for that?"

Shinji scowled. "When she finds out why I want to go shopping tonight, I will very quickly be in no mood to listen to her. Besides, I want the advice of someone around the age of the girl I'm seeing. And Rei, well, her interest in fashion is minimal. I don't think she has much use for it. Or boys, for that matter. Sooo-" He let the sentence hang.

"Oh! Okay. Yeah, I'm free later. Sure!"

"Great! Misato's coming to pick me up later, so I'll get her to swing around by your place about five-thirty. How's that sound?"

"Great! See you then. Bye!" Hikari waved as she walked off.

* * *

**At the shopping mall**

Two teenage girls entered the mall ahead of an older woman, who was trying hard to get the attention of the sullen boy beside her without much luck. The brown-haired girl looked over her shoulder at them before speaking to the blue-haired girl beside her.

"I honestly thought Shinji was exaggerating about how bad Miss Katsuragi teases him." Hikari said, shocked at how Misato had been carrying on when her car had pulled up. Shinji's face had been beetroot red as she got in the car, and his colour had not changed the entire trip. When they pulled in to the car park and Misato had said something about Shinji was only doing this to get some practice in for when Asuka woke up, he had finally lost it. Slamming the car door, he screamed abuse at the older woman for ten minutes solid, drawing a crowd as he did so. When he finally stopped, he apologised to Rei and Hikari for his outburst and stormed into the mall. They moved to follow, leaving Misato to collect her jaw off the floor and race to catch up to them.

"The Vice-Commander does not always know when to curb her tongue. Recently, it has begun to cause the occasional over-reaction from Shinji." Rei explained.

"You mean that Shinji has done that before?" Hikari asked, horrified. She was beginning to understand the weird tone Asuka used to get in her voice on the rare occasion that she would talk about Shinji going berserk inside his Eva.

Rei nodded. "From time to time. However, this was by far the most...expressive outburst I have heard. She must have touched a nerve."

"I'll say!" She nodded emphatically. "I didn't even know Shinji knew quite so many swear words. Or how to string them together like that to such effect." Hikari frowned in thought. "I also hadn't realised that Asuka was such a sensitive subject for him. She's come up in conversation before without him going off like that."

Rei hesitated for a moment before answering. "Misato has a long held opinion that Shinji and Asuka would make a 'great couple'." She scowled at the thought. "But whenever she brings up the Second Child in that context, Shinji becomes very defensive."

'_No kidding!' _Hikari pondered this information. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Shinji was getting ready to start shouting at Misato again. "Rei, we need to separate those two. Otherwise they will keep setting each other off all night."

Rei turned to look and decided that Hikari's assessment of the situation was correct. Furthermore, this presented an opportunity to accomplish the task she had set for herself when she accepted the invitation to tag along tonight. _'Shinji is not the only person seeking to broaden their horizons this evening.' _"Take Shinji clothes shopping, Hikari. I will keep Misato occupied." She ordered.

'_How?_' She thought, but decided against asking. "Okay. See you in the food court in a couple of hours."

Hikari dragged Shinji away from an embarrassingly apologetic Misato while Rei kept her from following by whispering a request in her ear. Whatever was said, Misato's head snapped around and her face brightened a little. They walked off in the opposite direction.

As they wandered through the men's section, Hikari gently tried to get an explanation from Shinji about his reaction to Misato's earlier teasing while she picked stuff for him to try on.

"Shinji, why did you explode like that? I hope Miss Katsuragi wasn't right." She asked in a neutral tone.

Shinji gave her a hard glare, which softened when he saw her flinch. "No Hikari, she wasn't." He sighed. "I just… everyone is going to think something like that when they find out what I'm doing. And it couldn't be further from the truth. If it _was _true, I would spend all my time moping around and never leaving her bedside, or some such. I'm doing this for me." He said defensively.

"Good." She knew there was more to it than what he was telling her, but she didn't push. It wasn't her place, yet. "How long was she teasing you before you arrived at my place?"

"Pretty much from when she and Rei picked me up at the gym." He grimaced. Between his guardian's innuendo at hearing his request and the other two boys drooling over his guardian while they saw him off, his mood was pretty much screwed from the get-go.

Hikari shook her head. "You really weren't kidding, were you? About how bad she can get."

"No." He replied sheepishly. "And I'm sorry you had to see that side of me. Normally, I can deal with it. Her. But lately...I'm not the scared pilot she took in a couple of years ago, y'know. I'm growing up! I just wish she could see that." He complained. "Anyway, can we drop it? I want to not think about it for a while. We're supposed to be shopping here."

"Alright." Hikari agreed. _'For now.' _They both turned their minds towards the task at hand.

* * *

**Later. In the food court**

Shinji and Hikari had bought some food and were in the process of sitting down when Misato and Rei joined them. Upon seeing his guardian he chose not to look at her, instead focusing on his food. Noticing Hikari's hand stop it's journey to her mouth, he followed the line of her amazed gaze and focused on Rei. _'What the-?'_

"Wow!" They both shook off their surprise at the same time.

"Your hair looks great, Rei! Very daring." Hikari complemented.

"It's awesome! I _love_ what you've done with it." Shinji smiled reassuringly, meaning every word.

"Yeah, isn't it wild! And it was her idea, too." Misato enthused.

Rei blushed at the positive response, gently touching her hair. She had asked the hairdressers to cut it shorter and chipped it, so it stood up every which way in a spiky mess. In combination with her natural hair colour, it was stunning to look at. "Thank you. I have had that same hairstyle for my entire life. I felt like a change." She stated simply as she sat down with them.

As he withdrew his stare from her head back to his food, something else about her appearance jumped out at him. "And you had your ears pierced, as well! You really _did_ go all out, tonight!" He nodded approvingly.

Hikari looked at the other girl's ears and sure enough, there was a small diamond stud in each earlobe. "You know, when you turn up at school tomorrow, the guys are going to go nuts over your new look." She nudged Shinji with her shoulder. "You should tell the other two stooges in the morning to make sure she has an escort between classes."

Shinji thought about it. "Your right! They will be around you like bees over honey. And I know you don't like crowds." Rei became faintly disturbed at the thought. "Good idea, Hikari. You hang with us and we'll stay close until everyone gets used to the new you. Alright?"

She gulped. "That would be preferable to the alternative. Thank you."

Happy that Rei was trying something new, Shinji forgot to be mad with Misato. She noticed this, and decided to keep quiet so as not to set him off again. She also made a mental note to apologise to him for the teasing. Soon.


	3. Chapter 3

THIS LONELY HEART WANDERS

By: Tezza1502

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', nor any of the characters within. I'n just excercising my imagination.

* * *

**The next morning. **

"Oh, hi class rep! What's up?" Kensuke asked as he and Touji saw her walking towards the elevator that led up to the Katsuragi/Ikari/Ayanami residence.

"Hi guys! Shinji asked me to come over and walk with him and Rei to school." She answered mysteriously.

"Huh! Why?" Touji spoke up.

"You'll see in about five minutes." She grinned at their confused expressions. "Come on!" She led them into the elevator and pushed the button. Kensuke and Touji were both burning with curiosity and barely containing it, while Hikari was thinking about the nice time she had had with Shinji and the others, last night. Soon, the doors opened and let them out. Heading for the door, she pushed the buzzer. /_Coming_/ A voice came from the intercom. Opening the door, Shinji stepped out and greeted his friends. "Come on in. We should be ready to leave in a few minutes." He smiled apologetically. "Rei's been having second thoughts since we got home last night."

"Isn't it about twelve hours too late for that?" An understanding smirk appeared on Hikari's face.

"Yeah! Could you get in there and try to calm her down? I'll let these two in on what's going on." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

"Sure!" She bounced past him, leaving Shinji with the other two looking at him, confused as hell.

"Um, so what's up with Rei?" Kensuke spoke first.

"As you know, we all went shopping last night. I needed some new gear for the weekend. While we were there, Rei decided to try out a new look." He laughed at the expressions on their faces. "She looks fantastic! But she's nervous about going to school today. So, I need a big favour from you two." His face turned serious.

Seeing this, Touji and Kensuke became all business. "For you guys, anything. You know that." Kensuke said. Touji nodded in agreement.

"Thanks. It's just that she doesn't really like being the centre of attention, y'know? And she's going to get plenty of it for the next few days. So, with myself and Hikari, I need you two to help look out for her until everyone gets used to her new appearance."

"Sure! No prob! We're on it!" Kensuke answered. "I remember her getting flustered from the attention she used to get from boys when she first started. I mean, she never used to show it, but you could tell she didn't like it at all."

Touji nodded again. "So yeah, we got her back if she needs it."

Shinji was relieved. "Thanks guys."

"So, what did she have done?" Touji asked.

Shinji was about to answer when he saw Kensuke's mouth suddenly fall open. He was looking into the apartment entrance.

"This!" Hikari said proudly from the door.

Touji turned and he too let his jaw hit his chest. "Damn Rei, you look _hot_!" He said without thinking.

The girl went bright pink and tried to go back into the apartment, only to be stopped by Hikari and Misato.

Shinji looked on, amused. "Well, I think that's a first in the history of Tokyo-3. Touji and Kensuke at my place and they're _not_ drooling over Misato!" He smirked. "Congratulations, Rei. You've outshone our guardian."

Misato pouted. "Awww. Don't I do it for you guys anymore?" She said as she stretched her arms over her head and jiggled herself at the two boys. It worked. As they switched their attention to Misato's lewd display, Hikari pushed Rei out the door and past them.

"Jerks!" She muttered at the drooling duo.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute, ladies." Shinji said as they passed by. Turning back, he whacked the mesmerized boys in the back of the head a couple of times to break them out of their daze. "Misato, _behave_! No more corrupting their innocence! They don't have much left as it is." He yelled over his shoulder as he dragged them away by their collars.

Misato poked her tongue out at him. "Meanie! Spoiling my fun!" She giggled as she went back inside. _'Oh, yeah! Still got it! No-ones taking MY title.' _

* * *

The day at school went pretty much as Hikari had expected. The whispers started as soon as the group walked in the main gates, the class rep in the lead, Rei by Shinji's side and Touji and Kensuke in flanking positions. The guys were all slack-jawed as they caught sight of her. Rei had always had her fans amongst the school's male population, despite her steadfast refusal to get involved with any of them. Or indeed, acknowledge their existence.

Seeing as their living arrangement was common knowledge around the school, a lot of them became even more insanely jealous of Shinji, especially since Rei was holding on to his arm for support. Right then, he would have traded places with any of them because she was clutching his arm so tightly he was quickly losing all sensation below the elbow.

The girls, however, immediately went into various huddles, looking at her and whispering amongst themselves about this unexpected potential threat to their significant others. Green eyes were appearing everywhere. Only the presence of the most feared class representative of Tokyo-3 high school was keeping them from confronting Rei directly about her intentions. Seeing this, and knowing she couldn't be everywhere, Hikari began making a mental list of who she could trust in various classes to spread the word: Touch Rei and suffer the consequences!

Class went as normal, despite the occasional snort of annoyance coming from Rei's direction as she deleted message after message off her computer. Meal breaks also passed with minimal interference. If Touji cracking his knuckles or Hikari's stern glare didn't deter Rei's wannabe suitors, Shinji assuming the 'Gendo position' and giving them the evil eye usually did the trick. Shinji spotted Aki once during the day and mouthed "_Main gate. After school_" at her while he escorted Rei from one class to another. She nodded, unhappy at being ignored.

* * *

Eventually, school ended.

As students streamed out into the weekend, Shinji and Rei waited by the main gate. Rei was pointedly ignoring the other students by looking the other way while Shinji was handing out frozen glares to anyone who dared to come within range.

"Do you mind waiting? I haven't had a chance to talk to Aki today." Shinji asked.

"It is fine, Shinji. Take your time." Rei responded.

Soon enough, the young girl came into view. Seeing that Shinji had kept his word to talk to her after school, she bounced over to him. "Hi, Shinji!" A slightly more subdued "Hello Rei." followed. Rei nodded back politely.

"Um, hi Aki. Sorry I couldn't talk to you today. It's been interesting." Rei snorted again in annoyance.

Aki spared her a small glance, pouting. "So I saw. Everyone's scared that she is making an attempt to start dating, or something! Like, laying down a challenge." She pointed at Rei, who was thoroughly confused. Aki saw this and clarified. "The red-head, Asuka, did the same thing when she first started here. Y'know, put the fear into all the girls. It went something like; '_If I wanted to, I could have any boy in this school I wanted just by snapping my fingers!_'." Aki scowled at the memory. "Really scared the crap out of everyone!"

Shinji put his hand over his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yep! That sounds like something Asuka would do." He sighed. Rei began grinding her teeth together at finding yet another reason to dislike the Second Child.

"So, why'd you do it?" Aki asked, seeking to find out if Rei was intending to go on the prowl. Her friends would want to know. Just in case.

Rei gave serious thought to not answering, but decided that the truth may save her a lot of trouble later on. "I wished to change my hairstyle. That is all. I was tired of it." She touched it again, then flicked her earrings lightly. "Misato, our guardian, convinced me to pierce my ears at the same time."

Aki wasn't sure whether to believe her or not. "That's it! No grand plan to start wreaking havoc with the boys?"

"_**No**_." Rei said in such a way as to leave no doubt in the other girls mind.

"Cool!" Aki responded enthusiastically. "Do you mind if I spread the word?"

"Please do!" Shinji broke in eagerly.

"Done!" She beamed. "So, what are we doing tomorrow?" She moved in closer to Shinji.

"It's a surprise." He answered quickly, not wanting to insult her by backing away from this invasion of his personal space.

"Aww. Not even a hint?" She leant forward and batted her lashes at him. Shinji began to panic slightly. No-one had ever flirted with him before. At least, not without it turning into a tease-fest or a beating. Starting to go red, he talked quickly before her flowery perfume took away his powers of speech.

"Well, um, we're going to start with lunch in the park, and then see where the day leads us." He stated, hoping it would be enough for her.

It was. "Okay!" She leant back slowly, enjoying the reactions she was getting from him_. 'Wow! That was easy! Miki was right, this is fun!'_ She thought slyly. Straightening up, she stepped back and gave him a sunny smile. "So I'm meeting you at the park, huh."

"Yep. North entrance, twelve o'clock."

"Cool! See you tomorrow!" She gave him a shy wave as she turned and skipped over to her waiting friends. Rei watched as Shinji gathered his composure before commenting.

"You haven't made any plans at all for tomorrow, have you?" She smirked at the guilty expression on his face.

"No. I've been too busy with _other_ things to give it much thought." He gave her a pointed stare.

Ignoring his subtle dig at the anxiety attack she had made him and Misato suffer through the night before after they had returned from the mall, Rei picked up her bag and began to walk home. "I was nervous. Sue me!" Shinji emitted a remarkably good imitation of the snort she had been producing all day as he picked his own bag up and fell into step with her. "Maybe you should ask Misato for some tips. She has been on a lot more dates than anyone else we know." Now the boy just growled. "Look at it this way, it will give her a chance to make up for her behaviour yesterday. She _has_ been wanting to say sorry for going overboard."

"_Fine_! I'll talk to her when she gets home tonight." He grumbled. Rei was inwardly content. She did not like it when her family argued with each other.

* * *

**Saturday. After the date.**

Shinji staggered in to the apartment, looking distinctly the worse for wear. "Holy crap! What happened to you?" Misato demanded when she noticed him flop down in a heap at the kitchen table. Rei came out of her room at the sound of voices talking and positioned herself in the doorway.

"The date…didn't go so good." He stated. Misato made him a cup of green tea and waited. Taking a sip, he began to talk.

"Well, it started out okay. She was fifteen minutes late getting there, but I didn't say anything. We found a café and sat down. We talked about school and stuff while we ate. I was pretty nervous, so the conversation was a bit stop/start. I was going to take her to a movie, but it went a bit pear-shaped before that." He frowned in memory.

Misato prompted him to keep talking. "First of all, Touji and Kensuke had tailed me to the park and were filming the whole thing." Misato groaned. "Yep! That was my reaction too when I spotted them out of the corner of my eye. Needless to say, I was pissed off. So, first chance I got, I went over to give them both a kick. They bolted when they realised they were sprung. Naturally, Aki wasn't happy that my 'friends' were spying on us. Then, I returned from ordering our food to find that her ex-boyfriend _just happened _to be walking past and invited himself to the table." Misato and Rei _both_ rolled their eyes at that. "But what put the final nail in the coffin of the whole date was that a bunch of those fundamentalist nuts you _swore _Section-2 had cleared out of the city saw me and started giving me grief. You know, the usual stuff about how I'm going straight to hell for killing God's messengers."

Misato's eyes went wide. "_Oh no_! What happened then?"

"After I managed to get away from the God-botherers, I came back to find Aki walking away with her 'ex'. When I asked her what she was doing, she told me she didn't want to date someone who was in the middle of so much trouble. She wanted someone 'safer'." He took another sip of the tea, hoping it would calm him down some more. "So, after that I walked around for a while feeling sorry for myself and eventually made my way back here. THE END." Shinji let his head thump against the table top a few times after he finished.

Misato jumped up, ran over and swamped him in a hug. "Oh I'm so sorry Shinji!" Raising his head until they were eye to eye, she smiled softly. "Don't let one bad experience put you off dating. Okay kiddo." She waited until Shinji nodded reluctantly. "Like most things, it takes practice. You'll get better!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He answered half-heartedly as he stood up and headed for his room. "I'm going to my room to wallow in misery for a while longer. Call me when you want me to start dinner."

Rei put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically as he passed. Waiting until his door slid shut, she went to the phone and began dialling.

"Who ya callin'?" Misato asked.

"Hikari."

"Why?"

"To do something I should have done when Shinji accepted that girls' proposal." Seeing Misato's confused expression, Rei elaborated. "Find out why she asked him out in the first place."

Misato was still playing catch-up. "And why would Hikari know?"

"She is the class representative. If you want to know what's going on with whom in the classroom, she is the one to ask." A small, devious smile appeared briefly. "Besides, I am sure she would be interested to know what the other two stooges got up to today."

While Misato only knew the girl from the file Section-2 had on her, she was sure that Hikari would probably not be happy to find out that Touji and Kensuke had a small but not insignificant role in turning Shinji's date into a disaster. "Damn Rei, that's _evil_!" She grinned proudly.

"Your point being…?" Rei retorted, feigning confusion.

* * *

**Over dinner**

"-so it turns out that she was just trying to make her boyfriend jealous for something he did the other week." Rei finished relating the low-down she had received from Hikari while Shinji was sulking in his room. The chopsticks he was holding suddenly snapped in two.

"I really, _**really**_, hate being used!" He growled as he got up to get a new pair. '_I am being punished for taking the easy way and not asking someone out, aren't I!_' "Why didn't Hikari say something earlier?"

"She didn't know." Rei shrugged. "Apparently, she was out shopping today and she ran into some of Aki's friends. After a bit of prodding, they let her in on what was going on. Unfortunately, by then it was too late to tell you. She said to say sorry for letting you down."

"It's not _her _fault!" Shinji let out a long sigh. "Remind me to tell her that at school on Monday." He looked at Rei, who nodded. He glanced at his guardian, who was watching him intently. "Misato? Tell me the truth. Or lie to me if you have to. But _tell me _that this whole dating thing gets easier? Please?" He pleaded.

Misato pondered on how to answer that question without crushing his ego. "Easier? Not really. More rewarding? _Definitely_!" While not the answer he wanted, Misato felt that Shinji still needed to be clear on the reasons why he was doing this. Most important of all, was he ready?

For the rest of the weekend, Shinji brooded about just that question. It was Sunday night before he decided on his answer.

* * *

_-Interlude-_

_Vice-Commander Katsuragi strode into the Commanders office and stood at attention in front of the desk. "You wished to see me sir?"_

_Commander Fuyutski looked up from a letter on his desk. "Ah, Misato. I just received this communication from Tokyo-2 regarding the new commander." Her eyes widened slightly. "They have narrowed it down to the final four candidates, who are now going into a final round of interviews with the UN."_

_Misato thought it over for a minute. "And who's your money on, sir?"_

_Fuyutski looked at her for a moment before reaching into his desk and removing a file. "I believe that this man will be your next commander." He opened it and slid it across the desk towards her. She picked it up and began reading_.

"_Professor Yoshi Kirishima. Born 1960. Married Amanda Davis, an American, in 1995. They met while they were …" She looked up sharply. "Your kidding, right?"_

"_No. They were both a part of the GEHERN project before it metamorphosed into NERV. She was a translator of the Dead Sea Scrolls, he was a bio-geneticist. He also worked with your father for a while. By all accounts they got on quite well. After Second Impact, they both left in disgust at where the project was going."_

_This surprised Misato. "I was under the impression that SEELE didn't accept resignations."_

"_Yes, well, they thought that it was better to give them the illusion of freedom than to kill them at that time. They both were and still are among the top people in their respective fields. No use wasting resources like that until absolutely necessary. Besides, SEELE had another way of insuring that they kept their silence." He nodded pointedly at the folder again. Misato scanned it._

"_Oh, they have a daughter. Mana Kirishima. Born in the year after Third Impact. Which means that she was another potential candidate for the EVA program. That explains why they are still alive." She put the folder down. "So, you think the UN will put him in charge because of his antagonistic history with SEELE and NERV, huh."_

_He nodded. "Yes. My thinking is that they believe he will not have any interest in restarting any of the more…distasteful projects of the previous management."_

"_Good! We'll get along just fine then." Misato commented._

"_Well, you will find out in a few months, at any rate. Take that file and study it at your leisure."_

_She put it under her arm. "Thank you sir. I will return it as soon as possible." She saluted and left the office._

_-End Interlude- _


	4. Chapter 4

THIS LONELY HEART WANDERS

By: Tezza1502

Rating: T

Disclaimer: No, I don't own anything 'Evangelion'. I'm just excercising my imagination. (It doesn't get out enough, unfortunately)

* * *

CHAPTER 3

**Two months later**

Kensuke was sitting at his desk in class, pecking away at his computer with Touji looking over his shoulder. "So, how many is that he's gone out with so far?" The tall boy asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to where Shinji and another girl were talking quietly in the corner of the mostly empty classroom.

"Three." He answered, not looking away from the screen. Behind them, the conversation finished with them exchanging a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before going their separate ways. The girl exited the classroom while Shinji headed in the direction of his friends.

"Hah! Not bad for eight weeks. Must be finally getting the hang of it." Touji said proudly, sounding like _he_ was the one who had taught Shinji everything he needed to know about dating.

Kensuke snorted at his friend and pushed his glasses up his nose. "_Please! _Like we're able to talk. You turn into a dribbling mess whenever you get _near _a girl, and they won't even _look_ at me!"

Touji scratched at the back of his head, knowing that he'd been nailed, dead centre. "Yeah, well…" Seeking to change the subject, he asked what had happened to finish Shinji's latest relationship.

"Turns out it was mutual. Apparently, they didn't 'click'." Kensuke said in awe, and more than a little bit of disgust. For someone who had never been on a date with a girl, terminating a relationship with one just because you had nothing in common with her was bordering on criminal, in his mind. "Damnit, I can't even get a girl to _notice _me, and Shinji's _turning_ them away. It's just not fair!" He sobbed, smacking his head on the desk with frustration.

"What's not fair?" Hikari asked as she and Rei approached them.

"The usual! Shinji's continuing good luck with the ladies. Ken and I wondering where we are going wrong." Touji replied without thinking. As usual.

"Oh!" Hikari's face fell. Rei noticed this, and wondered if Touji was really so thick that he did not know how the class rep felt about him. _'If she were any more obvious about it, they would be able to see it from orbit!' _

"So, what can we do for you, class rep?" Kensuke enquired politely.

"What? Oh, um, well I got given some tickets to a concert by my sister, Kodoma. She works at the Tokyo-3 Entertainment Centre. Sometimes she can get her hands on a few freebies. Normally she uses them herself, but this one isn't her type of thing so she gave them to me, instead. I've got four for this Thursday night. The show starts at five, and will finish around nine, so it will be a school friendly activity. Anyone interested?" Hikari asked hopefully.

"What type of concert?" Shinji asked as he walked up to them, returning Rei's softly concerned expression with a nod and a smile. She had been worried over how he would take his latest break-up.

"Classical. The Tokyo-2 orchestra is coming to town." Hikari handed him the program. Being the groups resident classical music enthusiast, she wanted his opinion.

"_Pass!_" Touji said immediately.

"_Pass!_" Kensuke followed suit.

"You sure, Ken?" Shinji smirked as he spotted a certain title on the list. "One of the pieces is 'the Ride of the Valkyries'."

"_Weellll_…" The boy wavered. That was his favourite piece of music from 'Apocalypse Now'.

"There's a few others in here that I think will capture your interest, as well." Shinji continued reeling his friend in.

"_Weellll…_" His indecision was very plain.

"I will be happy to join you there, Hikari." Rei said.

"And you _know_ that I'm in!" Shinji added.

Kensuke finally relented. The chance of hearing some music from one of his favourite movies _live_, plus the opportunity to spend some time near a major babe like Rei was too good to pass up. "Alright. I'm there."

Hikari squealed excitedly. "Thanks guys!"

When it finally clicked that he was being left out of a night of free entertainment with his friends, Touji looked perplexed. "Hey! What about me?"

"You snooze, you lose!" Shinji shrugged with a distinct lack of sympathy.

* * *

**Thursday night**

Despite Touji's loud grumbling about being left out in the days leading up to the concert, the four teens were anticipating a good night out. Kensuke's father was happy to give permission for him to be out on a school night. Secretly, he was glad his son was showing an interest in something other than computers or the military.

Hikari's father was also alright with it, as long as she checked in with her sister during the night.

Misato went on and on about her kids double dating until Shinji threatened to weld the door to her beer fridge shut and deny her access to her favourite curry. She was remarkably subdued after that, even going so far as to offer them a lift to and from the venue. They both declined Misato's offer as graciously as possible, not wanting to subject their friends to the extreme G-forces of Misato's normal cruising speed.

They met up outside the main entrance to the Tokyo-3 Entertainment Centre about 4:40PM. Looking slightly nervous at some of the curious glances they were getting from the predominately older patrons, they huddled together in a corner and chatted quietly. Kodoma spotted them and bounced over to say hello before guiding them to their seats. Shinji sat next to Hikari, while Kensuke completed the bookend beside Rei.

Sitting there between Shinji and Rei, Hikari was a bundle of nervous energy. Like Misato had with her charges, Hikari's two sisters had teased her without mercy about inviting two boys along for the night. Only the threat of seasoning their dinner with four-alarm chilli for the foreseeable future put an end to the class rep's torture. Most of her anxiousness was due to her growing attraction to Shinji. Since he had begun dating, he had become the most desired male in the class, heck, the school. While still shy, his quiet ways and patient manner allowed him to actually think before opening his mouth when in conversation with the opposite sex. That he lived with Misato and Rei, combined with the fact that he had survived the emotional whirlwind that was Asuka Langley Sohryu, also gave him a huge leg up when dealing with the many cute girls vieing for his affection.

And therein lay the problem. Hikari felt horribly outclassed by all the attention he was getting from, in her opinion, some much prettier girls. She had realised that she was beginning to develop feelings for him just before he had started dating. Despite her quiet persuit of Touji, she found herself wondering sometimes if she was chasing the wrong stooge. Shinji always had time for her. He had developed a knack for gentle teasing. And he was able to hold an intelligent conversation with her without putting both his feet in his mouth. She watched how he interacted with his dates closer than anyone, with the possible exception of Rei. What she had observed only fanned the growing flame within her.

But she was conflicted. She still felt strong emotions for Touji. Did she want to risk alienating him as well as Shinji. If she tried this she would be risking not only the friendship she shared with the two boys, but also the friendship they shared with each other. Touji was a boy of strong emotions, and if he felt that Shinji was somehow taking advantage of her, or intruding on his 'territory', he would not stop at just giving the ex-pilot a bloody nose this time.

All these emotions and thoughts were swirling around in her head until it was ready to burst. This state of tension did not gone unnoticed.

"Hikari? Are you okay?" Rei asked quietly when she noticed the girl seated beside her had been wearing a conflicted expression on her face for most of the first hour of the concert. It was one she had noticed there occasionally, the past month or so.

"What? Oh, nothing Rei." She replied. Despite her current mental state, she smiled a little at how the other girl had adressed her. It had been a long uphill battle to get Rei to stop calling her Class Representative Horaki whenever she greeted her. The former First Child was making great strides towards becoming a normal teen.

"Are you sure?" She pressed. Hikari was her main touchstone of what it was to be a 'normal' girl. If something was upsetting her, Rei wanted to help.

Seeing the honest consern in Rei's eyes, Hikari decided to take a chance. "Tell you later. Okay?"

Holding her eyes for a moment, Rei nodded. "Very well." She nodded before returning her focus to the performance.

Noticing all the whispering going on between them, Kensuke caught Shinji's eye and raised an eyebrow in a silent question. When his friend shrugged back, he let it drop. If Shinji was not worried, neither was he.

* * *

When the concert finished, not too long after nine o'clock, the four teens hung around the main entry waiting for Kodoma to walk out. While the concession stand she worked in usually closes before whatever concert is happening finishes, she still has to stay back and help clean up. So they had some time to kill before she was able to drive them home.

Hikari and Rei made their way to the restrooms, leaving Shinji and Kensuke to their own devices. After thanking Shinji for talking him into coming along to the concert, Kensuke mentioned something that had occurred to him earlier.

"Y'know, we are going to have to organise some sort of group thing this weekend, otherwise Touji will bitch for the next two weeks about us 'abandoning' him." He said with a roll of the eyes.

Shinji pondered that for a minute before coming to the same conclusion. "Yeah, you're right. Can't have our favourite jock sulking about being left out of something he didn't want to be any part of, can we?" He smirked.

"Any ideas?" The other boy asked after he stopped sniggering.

"Um-" Shinji racked his brain. "Dunno. I'll check the paper when we get home to see if anything's on." He offered. "We can figure it out at school tomorrow."

"Figure out what?" Hikari enquired as she and Rei rejoined them.

"We're guessing that Touji will be pouting up a storm tomorrow at school because he got left out of tonight." Shinji answered, rolling his own eyes at Touji's occasionally childish ways. "So, we're trying to come up with a group activity for the weekend so he doesn't feel abandoned." Kensuke nodded as Shinji spoke.

"Oh! Um, that's very thoughtful of you Shinji." Hikari said. "I'm sure he will appreciate it."

"Thanks, but it was Ken's idea first, actually." Shinji countered, putting the credit where it was due.

Hikari favoured the other boy with a bright smile. "Well, thank you too, Kensuke."

Kensuke, unused to receiving praise from pretty girls, did not handle her compliment as smoothly as Shinji. "Yeah well, he is my best friend. I don't want him getting pissed at us, y'know." He replied, blushing.

"So, any ideas? And are you free? Rei? You wanna come with?" Shinji asked them both.

"Let me know when you have a plan. I will decide then." Rei answered cautiously.

"Um, what Rei said." Hikari also deferred. Like Rei, she was not willing to commit to a day at the arcade, or any other 'boy' activity.

"Okay. Ken and I will figure out something and get back to you." Shinji agreed without argument as Kodoma walked up.

"So, you kids ready to go home?" She teased, despite only being a couple of years older than the assembled teens.

"Yes, _mom_!" Hikari teased back.

* * *

The next day started pretty much as Kensuke predicted. Touji grumbled and complained about being abandoned by his friends the entire walk to school. It only stopped when Shinji told them his idea:-

"Are you guys interested in going somewhere for a picnic?"

"Where did you have in mind?" Hikari asked, sounding slightly interested. A picnic sounded better to her than a movie or something.

"Mt. Futago national park." Shinji answered. "A bus heads up there from Tokyo-3 hourly on Sundays. We can go up, have a wander through the markets in the village, then set up somewhere for lunch. You know, make a day of it." He enthused.

Kensuke put up a hand. "Why Sunday?"

"Shinji and I have an annual checkup at NERV that will take up most of Saturday." Rei grimaced.

"So we'll _need _a way to chill out after that!" Shinji put in. "What do you think?"

"Um, if there's going to be markets on, won't it be packed full of families from the city? Where will we be able to find a space to sit down and eat." Hikari hated to point that out. While Shinji's idea was growing on her, she did _not _want to spend an hour or two just searching for a vacant spot.

"Trust me. Finding a spot to eat will _not _be a problem." Shinji smiled enigmatically. "So, are you in?"

The others all looked at each other.

"Sure! Sounds like fun." Kensuke spoke up first.

"I will join you." Rei answered next.

"Yup!" Touji replied.

Seeing that they were all in, Hikari decided that it really was a nice idea. A day out for just the five of them. "Okay." She nodded.

Shinji beamed at them all. "Excelent! Hikari, do you mind sharing cooking duties with me?" She agreed with a nod. "Right. Ken, blankets, plates and utensils are your responsibility." Kensuke mock-saluted. "Touji, you buy the drinks. Don't forget water, either. There will be a slight hike to our picnic area." Touji agreed amiably.

With that sorted out, they entered school.

* * *

Lunch time arrived. Touji, Kensuke and Rei all headed for the cafeteria with the other students, leaving Shinji and Hikari alone in the classroom. The reason they had not joined the rest was because Hikari asked Shinji to stay behind.

"I made this up during class." She walked over to his desk and placed a sheet of paper in front of him before he could leave. On it was a list of snacks for their trip on Sunday. "Do you think that will be enough for us to eat?"

Shinji looked it over with a practiced eye. "More than enough, even with Touji along." He joked.

Hikari giggled a bit. "Okay. I'll get started on it tomorrow." She said as she reached for it.

"Hold on." Shinji pulled it away from her. "Which ones do you want me to make?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, its alright, I can do them all." She stated, reaching for it again.

"_Hikariiii_…" Shinji groaned. "Only _you _are coming. Class Representative Horaki is staying here in Tokyo-3." He chided her gently. "I am going to make some of these, whether you want me to or not." Hikari opened her mouth to protest. "_Ah-ah! _No arguing! We split the list, or I take it home and do it all myself." He threatened.

Hikari was about to argue when she remembered that Shinji was fully capable of following up on his threat. Asuka had raved about his cooking skills in the past, usually when he was nowhere within earshot. Sighing, she gave in after a moments hesitation and came around the desk to look at the page over his shoulder. Resting her left hand on the back of his chair, she leant in and began disagreeing with him over who was going to make what.

Eventually, they reached an compromise over the division of labour. Looking up at the clock, she noted that their lunch break was almost over. She groaned and turned to Shinji to comment when she noticed that he had his eyes shut. "Shinji?"

"Huh?" He started. "Oh, uh, sorry." He said sheepishly, colouring slightly.

Hikari was confused at his actions. "What for?"

"Well, you, uh, you smell really nice today Hikari." Shinji offered with only a trace of a stammer. "Your perfume, I mean." He kept his eyes firmly on hers, heroically fighting the temptation to look further down while she was leaning in towards him. "I only just noticed."

Hikari's blush started at her cheeks and spread all the way down past the collar of her uniform. "Th-thank you." She stuttered, totally flustered by now. While she had been aiming to capture Touji's attention with it, she was not unduly upset that another stooge had taken the bait instead.

Suddenly, she realised just how _close _they were to each other. She could feel his breath lightly tickling her cheek. Acting totally on instinct, she licked her lips and began leaning towards him, tilting her head slightly. He did not back away as she came closer.

**BBRRRIIIIINNGGGG!**

The warning bell signifying the end of lunch rang out suddenly, disrupting the potential moment between them. Springing apart, Hikari quickly stumbled towards her own desk and sat down trying to erase the flush from her cheeks just as the first students began to pour in the door.

Meanwhile, Shinji tried to process what had almost happened between him and the class rep. He came out of his confusion long enough to realise that Rei was staring at him intently as she walked past him to her own desk. Blushing slightly, he realised that she must have seen at least part of what had just occurred in the classroom. Rubbing his temples with his knuckles, he began wondering if his life had just become more complicated than it really needed to be.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Hikari was unable to look at Shinji without going bright red and stuttering. Even _Touji _picked up that something was not right between them. And with Hikari being one of his closest friends from way back, he decided to confront Shinji about it after school before the others joined them to walk home.

"So, what's up between you and the class rep?" He said with his typical bluntness.

"What? Oh ,um, I'm not really sure. We were looking over the list of snacks we're going to make for Sunday, when she went all strange." Shinji lied slightly. He knew how Hikari secretly felt about Touji, and there was _no way _he was going to come between them. Unfortunately, his resolve on this subject was being weakened considerably by the memory of her perfume, and of her lips coming towards his. He was noticing more and more as time passed that Hikari was no longer just another cute girl in his class, but was in fact growing up into a very beautiful young woman. "Maybe she didn't like my deodorant, or something." He offered weakly.

Touji looked at him for a moment longer, before letting it go with a shrug. The rest of the walk home went as usual. At least until after Touji and Kensuke had split from the group to head off to their respective homes.

When the group reached the point where Hikari normally broke away, Shinji was surprised to find Rei going in her direction as well. As he opened his mouth to ask what was going on, Rei spoke up.

"Hikari has offered to help me with some schoolwork. I will be home later." She stated flatly. Hikari blushed and nodded slightly in agreement.

"…okay." Shinji felt that it would be unwise in the extreme to try and point out that Rei was the smartest student in the class, behind Kensuke. He had learnt the hard way not to get in the road of Rei when she was fixated on a course of action.

When he reached the unit, Misato was home before them for once, and immediately picked up on Rei's atypical absence. "Um…dare I ask?" She waved a beer at Shinji, inviting him to take a seat on the couch beside her.

Dropping his schoolbag in front of his door, he returned and did just that. "Hikari's been acting odd recently. Something to do with a boy at school, I think. And Rei is concerned about her. So she went to her place for the afternoon." He shrugged, carefully skirting around _his _involvement while not meeting Misato's eyes. He did _not _want to provide his guardian with any ammunition for teasing.

"Ahh. D&M time." Misato nodded in understanding.

"Huh?" Shinji blinked, wondering if he had missed a few words coming out of her mouth. It happened from time to time when conversing with his guardian. Mostly after she'd had a skinful.

"Deep and Meaningful." Misato clarified. "A time-honoured tradition amongst us ladies, especially when one of us is feeling confused about something." She winked. "Usually boys."

"Oh." Shinji pondered that for a bit. Trying not to squirm obviously at the thought of what might be being said right now over at the Horaki residence, he turned back to Misato and asked her for a favour.

Listening to his request, she nodded agreeably. "Doable. I'll have them ready after you escape from Ritsuko's clutches tomorrow."

"Thanks, Misato!" Shinji bounced to his feet and gave the older woman a quick kiss on the cheek as he left. This was a rare enough occurrence that Misato was left stunned long enough for him to make it into his room.

'_That little sneak.' _While Misato had no doubt he honestly meant his little show of affection, she was annoyed that her reaction had given him enough time to escape her for the moment. She had seen the look on his face as he realised what was likely going on between Rei and Hikari right now, and had wanted to interrogate him a little. All in the name of being kept in the loop about their lives, of course_. 'He's…__they__ are both growing up so fast now. I only want to be a part of their lives a little, not just an observer.' _Misato sighed to herself, thinking the eternal lament of all parents who have to give more time to their work than their families in the name of making a living.

Draining the last of her Yebisu, she decided to have a shower and relax until dinner was ready.


	5. Chapter 5

THIS LONELY HEART WANDERS

By: Tezza1502

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I make any claim to, 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. I am simply exercising my imagination in a non-profit way.

* * *

CHAPTER 5:

"Who's idea was this, anyway!" Touji grumbled as the group walked along an isolated road leading into a forest. Joining him, Kensuke, Shinji, Hikari and Rei at the last moment on their excursion to Mt. Futago was Hikari's younger sister, Nozomi, and Touji's little sister, Mari. Both Hikari and Touji's fathers thought it might make a nice change for the younger siblings to tag along. At the moment, Mari was being carried on Touji's back. Hence the grumbling emanating from the older Suzahara. Mari had tried gamely, but she no longer possessed the stamina to walk long distances, despite her therapy at the hands of Dr. Akagi and her team.

"Y'see, this is what happens when you don't push an athlete constantly. They stop training and lose _alllllll _their stamina, even for the little things." Kensuke intoned solemnly while making sure he was safely out of his friend's long reach.

Touji swiped at him while the others chuckled. "Tell you what, shorty. Why don't _you _come over here and give Mari a piggyback instead!"

Kensuke admonished the jock playfully. "Ah-ah! I wouldn't _dream _of denying the Suzahara siblings of this perfect bonding moment." He snickered as he danced away from another swipe from Touji. "I mean, what kind of a friend would that make me?"

"A useful one!" Touji grumbled.

"Am I really a burden, big brother?" Mari asked, slightly worried.

"Huh. No, Mari. We're just joking around." He quickly reassured his sister. "I'm also wondering exactly how long it's going to be until we reach Shinji's secret picnic spot." He said, trying to make the hair on the back of the Third Childs' head spontaneously burst into flames through a combination of intense glaring and muttered curses.

"Wuss! We've only been walking for five minutes." Kensuke teased again while dancing away from yet another failed swipe. "I doubt we have far to go."

"Actually, we're here." Shinji announced as the group rounded a corner. As the others came to a halt, he and Rei marched confidently towards a guardhouse blocking the road through a tall barb wired fence.

Two armed guards were stationed here permanently. One was already marching towards them. His partner hung back to the side, making sure to keep his companion out of the line of fire.

"I'm sorry, but this is government property." The first guard announced loudly. "The general public is not permitted to go beyond this point. So I'm afraid I will have to ask you to head back into the village." His tone was courteous, but firm.

* * *

"I thought Shinji said we could come here?" Hikari whispered to Kensuke nervously. She only wanted a picnic, not to get into trouble with the authorities.

"S'okay." Kensuke reassured her confidently. "Wait for it."

"Wait for what?" She looked over to Touji, only to see that he wasn't worried either. Like Kensuke, he also seemed to be expecting something.

Kensuke indicated that she could keep her eyes on their friends. "_Aaaaaaand_…there it is."

Hikari turned her attention back in time to see Shinji and Rei both show the guard something. As they did, the guard straightened up and saluted. The pilots returned the salute. A few quiet words later and the guard was walking back to the guardhouse. Shinji waved to the others. "C'mon, its all sorted!"

"What just happened?" Hikari asked warily as they moved forward again.

Kensuke rolled his eyes. "Think about it. Ever since that Angel attack when they blacked out Japan, this mountain has been NERV property." He reminded Hikari of the mission where Shinji and Rei had defeated the Fifth Angel together as he pointed to the blood-red logo adorning the guardhouse as they walked towards it. "And we are friends with the only functional Evangelion pilots in the world. Plus, their guardian basically _runs _NERV. Shinji and Rei could have this city served to them on a silver platter, if they wanted." He stated evenly.

"oh" Hikari said quietly. While it made sense, she had never really thought about how much power her friends potentially had at their fingertips. "Right."

"Yeah, it kinda makes your head spin the first time you realise what those two could get away with if they really put their minds to it." Touji put in.

Hikari turned that over in her mind a few times. The implications became scarier the more she thought about it. "So… how _do _you get your head around it." She asked nervously.

"Simple." Touji answered. "We remember one thing."

"They're Shinji and Rei." Kensuke continued. "Two of the most responsible kids alive."

"And the shyest! Neither of them really like to throw their weight around." Touji finished up. "In fact, this is only about the third time I've seen _either _of them pull something like this."

Hikari absorbed that and began to feel a little ashamed of where her thoughts had been heading a moment ago. "You're right. Neither of them like to show off. I should have-"

"Don't worry about it, Hikari." Kensuke reassured her. "Touji and I did the same thing when we first found out about it. They are still the same people we go to school with now that they were every other week before you found out."

As clichéd as that sounded to Hikari, it actually helped. She smiled at Kensuke. "Thanks."

* * *

Walking inside, Shinji led them down a sealed road towards two incredibly large metal platforms that jutted out over the edge of the cliff. Nozomi moved a little closer to her sister as they made their way through a cluster of abandoned prefabricated buildings. "What _is _this place?" She asked nervously.

"Soon after I arrived in Tokyo-3, Rei and I had to fight an Angel together. This place was where we launched our attack from." Shinji answered, his voice slightly coloured by the memory of that day and the events surrounding it. He stopped walking at the place where road became metal and let his mind wander back to that time as he stared out over the protruding platforms. Rei stepped up beside him and fell into contemplation over the things that were spoken of that night, and the bonds that had begun forming between them.

As Hikari looked at the body language of the First and Third Child, something occurred to her. "Why is this place special to you two?" She blurted before she could censor her thoughts. Shinji chuckled as she blushed a little at her own daring.

"Nothing much gets past you, does it Hikari." When his friends spun around to stare at him in surprise, he answered the question. "While we were waiting for the operation to commence, Rei and I had our first real conversation at the end of these platforms." He looked at Rei and smiled.

She returned it as she too recalled that time. "We discovered how much we had in common. That we were not as alone in this world as we had originally been led to believe." Unconsciously, she slipped her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Then we walked out there, and while I killed an Angel she saved my life. Almost at the cost of her own." Shinji finished softly, pointing with his free hand towards a patch of landscape that still showed the scars of where two Evangelions had fought for humanity's existence. "As far as I know, neither of us has been back here since then. So I thought, why not? Here's a place that's closed to the public, safe, and we can make as much noise as we like without disturbing anyone." Shaking off the small bit of melancholy that had settled upon him, Shinji smiled at Rei as he turned to face the rest of the group. "So, who's hungry?"

Kensuke recovered from Shinji's little speech first. "Dude, you're one of my best friends, an' I'm grateful for that. But every now and again you say something that seriously comes out of left field."

"Yeah well, just keeping you on your toes." He answered sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.

"Well I think it's sweet that they want to share a place with us that's so special to them." Nozomi piped up. Mari and Hikari nodded in agreement.

Nodding his thanks at their understanding, Shinji once again suggested that it was time to partake of the food he and Hikari had spent no small time the day before preparing.

* * *

After they had finished everything off, Touji had pulled out a frisbee. Soon, all of them were racing around the area playing a weird kind of tag with it. Mari was especially lethal, as Kensuke soon found out. After he had unleashed another tease-fest on Touji for missing a couple of easy catches, she had taken it upon herself to mete out some vengeance with the flat piece of plastic, Suzahara-style.

"Alright! _I apologise_! I'm sorry for suggesting that Touji would be better off trying to catch it in his mouth like a dog." Kensuke grovelled in front of the ten-year-old girl after being nailed, _hard_, in the back of the head by the frisbee for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"Damn straight you're sorry!" Mari crowed.

"Mari Suzahara! Language!" Hikari chided, in full class-rep mode now.

"But, Touji says that all the time?"

"Yes, but he's a stooge. No-one's expecting him to act civilised." Hikari retorted, sparing a glare for the boy in question who was apparently teaching his little sister such bad habits.

"Yeah." Touji piped up in agreement, before realising that he had just been insulted again. "_Hey!_"

"And on that note, I think it's time for a break." Shinji distracted them before it turned into a free for all.

"We got anything left to eat?" Touji asked as he began rummaging through the picnic basket they had brought with them. "I'm starving!"

"Dunno why." Kensuke muttered. "You didn't run fast enough to ca-_ouch!_" Mari had overheard him again.

"For someone my brother says is the smartest person in the school, you sure don't learn very fast, do you?" She smirked from behind her safe haven, i.e.: her big brother.

Kensuke looked from the frisbee laying at his feet to the grinning girl, wondering whether it would be worth the bad karma to return fire at her with it.

* * *

While Kensuke was deciding the merits of exacting revenge on someone several years younger than him, Shinji was also weighing something up in his head. Since that moment he had shared with Hikari in the classroom a couple of days ago, he had not been able to get the sight of her nervously approaching lips his out of his mind. And considering that she was the one who had initiated the encounter, he figured that she must have some sort of feelings for him. A part of the reason he had suggested this place for a picnic was because of the old walking tracks nearby. He figured that he might be able to steal some time alone with her and talk about what might be between them.

In hindsight, it was a badly thought out idea. Especially since the younger siblings had tagged along. He realised that Hikari's sole focus for the afternoon would now be on Nozomi, and keeping her in line.

In fact, he had not even been able to walk near her so far, much less talk to her. _'I __really__ should have thought this out a bit better.' _He sighed, mentally kicking himself.

"Take heart. She does have feelings for you." Came a whispery voice from his left side.

"Rei?"

Rei looked up at Shinji reassuringly. "Perhaps next time, you should just ask her out on a date."

Shinji started, then chuckled self-consciously. "Am I really that obvious?"

Rei smirked. "Only to me." She nodded pointedly Hikari, who was still throwing the frisbee with her sister and Mari. "And perhaps, to her as well." He looked over at Hikari just in time to see her turn away a little too quickly, a touch of colour gracing her cheeks.

"Yeah well, there's still Touji to consider." He scratched the back of his head in frustration. It wasn't quite a secret that the class-rep had been quietly pursuing the clueless jock for a number of years.

"True." Rei allowed. "But nevertheless, she did try to kiss _you_." She stressed.

"You saw it happen, huh." It wasn't quite a question. "Why are you pushing this?"

"Pushing what?" Rei enquired.

"_Please_." Shinji snorted. "I know you _way _better than that."

Rei allowed Shinji that conceit. It was the truth, after all. "Because I also know you. And I have come to know her as well. I believe that you two would be a 'great couple'." He grunted at Rei's use of their guardian's favourite phrase for describing him with another. "Although if you think that I am wrong, that is your choice." A slight twinkle of mischief made itself visible in her eyes. "There is always Misato's option, after all…"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Okay! Okay. No need to get nasty." They shared a smirk. "So, any _more _advice for me? Hikari must have given you _something _on Friday. You looked like a cat that had been locked inside a hen house overnight during dinner." Shinji remembered.

"Yes, she did." Rei also recalled that night. She had worn a slight grin on her face over what she and Hikari had discussed earlier. Shinji's barely controlled curiosity over said discussion was almost comical. And Rei's occasional pointed comments hadn't helped his mood, either. Unfortunately, it had completely slipped her mind what their guardian was capable of when given the opportunity. Misato had pounced on to the emotions swirling around reasonably quickly. The resulting tease-fest had been epic, even by Misato's standards. Rei had spent most of Saturday's tests at NERV getting back into Shinji's good books.

An impatient noise from shinji brought her out of her thoughts. "I believe taking her somewhere where there are a lot of people would be a good idea for a first date."

"Huh? Why? Can't I be trusted with her alone, or something?" Shinji felt annoyed by the insinuation that he would do something to Hikari without her permission.

Rei realised how her statement sounded. "I didn't mean it that way." She quickly reassured him. "What I meant was, Hikari has never really been on a proper date before."

"She hasn't?" This was news to him. He would have sworn that Asuka had dragged their class representative out on a double date or two, before.

Rei shook her head negatively. "So if there are other people around, she won't be so nervous about being out with you in public."

"Oh." Shinji thought about that. While he had only been out a few times himself, they were with girls who had more dating experience . And considering how nervous _he _had been, he could easily envisage how Hikari might feel being alone on a date with a boy for the first time. "I guess…"

"In any case, you should leave this until later. We have a nice day to get through first. You can tie yourself up in knots over Hikari at home." Rei said with a smile as she stood up to go and join the other girls.

Shinji watched her go, trying not to grin at her growing willingness to tease him if he started to wallow.

* * *

Eventually, the sun began its journey from the middle of the sky towards the horizon. It had taken the group a half hour or so to get to Mt. Futago, and a further half an hour to make their way through the crowds visiting the markets in the nearby village. So, if they wished to browse through the street stalls before returning to Tokyo-3, now was the time to pack up.

Their load considerably lightened by the fact that they had eaten every ounce of food they had brought with them, Shinji and Touji made Kensuke shoulder the backpack that contained all their blankets and utensils. When he complained, Shinji said that it was his punishment for piking out on the way there and leaving the carrying to him and Hikari. Touji added that that he needed the training to build up his muscle mass. "How you gonna ever get into the military if ya can't carry a pack, huh?" He teased.

Ignoring the boys as they messed about with each other, Rei casually began talking to Hikari in a low voice while they walked with the two younger girls. "Shinji is feeling a little silly right now."

"Why?" Hikari tried to feign confusion, but ended up looking slightly flushed instead. She was not used to having a girl-talk with someone, let alone Rei. Her duties as class representative, plus the fact that she basically ran the Horaki household, left little time for such activities. So chatting about boys with other girls was very much a novel experience for her. (Her conversations with Asuka didn't really count, since those talks were mostly one-sided, and usually consisted of nothing more than either putting down the boys at school, or a long discourse on why she was _so _perfect for Kaji.)

Rei merely cocked an eyebrow at her in response.

Her blush deepened slightly. "Did he tell you why he didn't just ask me out?"

"Yes." Rei sighed in exasperation. "He was over thinking the situation, as usual. I believe that he wanted to show you the walking trails around here at some point, and then discuss what happened in the classroom with you. Alone."

"Oh." Hikari considered that. "Um, could you tell him that I'm sorry for messing up his day please."

"Hikari, you have nothing to be sorry about. Today was not 'messed up' at all. For any of us. Did you not have fun?" Rei retorted, scolding the other girl gently. "I know that I did. And so did Shinji, as well as your sister and the others. First and foremost, today was about our group of friends having a picnic together. Any plans he may have had about getting you alone for a talk were secondary to that."

"Right." Hikari nodded.

"Plus, he feels that you still harbour affection for Touji, and he is unsure whether he would be…I believe the phrase is 'cutting in?'… between the two of you."

"Uh-huh." Hikari's shoulders slumped. _'Great! I'm confused about the way I've been thinking about Shinji, and he's feeling guilty because he thinks I still have the hots for the other stooge! Can this get any worse?' _

"In any case, I suggested that he merely ask you out on a date if he wished to spend time with you privately." Rei finished.

Hikari gulped. _'Question answered.' _

* * *

Notes: Okay, this is as far as I got on this fic. As usual, I have a few idea's and directions I could take this. I also have no idea when my Muse will return, let alone focus on this story. So, if you readers are still curious, just put it on alert, or follow, or whatever we are supposed to do these days, and let it fade from your mind. T


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